As you may know, I’ve been trying various facial moisturizers with built-in sun protection this winter, ever since my longtime favorite 100% Pure Pomegranate Antioxidant Hydration was reformulated. Some caused irritation; some were just a bit too greasy. However, I feel like I’ve hit the skincare jackpot with Josie Maran Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF40+.
This product is a mid-weight moisturizer with physical sunblock. Here’s the complete ingredients list:
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: Titanium Dioxide 9.5%, Zinc Oxide 6.0%. INACTIVE INGREDIENTS: Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe) Leaf Extract, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernel Oil, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Chamomilla Recutita Matricaria (Chamomile) Extract, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Hexadecene Copolymer, Hexylene Glycol, Isopropyl Palmitate, Phenoxyethanol, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Oil, Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Tocopherol.
As you can see, it includes plenty of natural ingredients (not all, but many!), including anitioxidant-rich argan oil [“from the fruit of the Argan tree that only grows in the semi-desert region of Morocco”—see photo above!], aloe, jojoba oil, and pomegranate oil. In fact, the contents aren’t all that different from my old 100% Pure moisturizer, but Josie Maran does add synthetic ingredients like polymers and silicones.
Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF40+ has a light blueberry-apricot scent and a very creamy, fluid texture that blends invisibly into my skin. I’m finding that two pumps of product is enough to cover my entire face. The titanium dioxide and zinc oxide provide safe and ample sun protection for a regular day around town, and the silicones actually seem to function as a primer, creating a smooth surface for makeup application.
I haven’t experienced any break-outs or irritation due to this moisturizer. I do notice some shine on my nose and forehead by mid-day, but that’s typical for me, and it’s nothing that a touch-up with a blotting paper or a light dusting of mineral face powder can’t fix.
All in all, Josie Maran Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF40+ gives me everything that I’m looking for in a daily sunblock-moisturizer. I’ve bought a full-size bottle and I’m feeling much better about the loss of my previous favorite product in this category.
Josie Maran Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF40+ sells for $32 (2 oz.) at Sephora and the Josie Maran website.
Product source: I requested a small sample of this product at Sephora and then returned to purchase a full-size bottle.
Image: An Argan Tree Standing Alone in Nowhere, via Wikimedia Commons.
TINSEL CREATION 
Yay! Glad you are liking it. I’ve been using it for about a year. I love that they have a small size, which was great for me to try it out before buying and I now use when I travel.
I’m so happy to have found this! I was just starting to test it out when you recommended it, so I wasn’t sure yet what I really thought. But it has it worked out very well!
I’ll have to get a sample of this. I always wear sunscreen too and it really is a quest to find one that works the way you want it to. Neutrogena had one I liked but I can’t seem to find it anymore. I never understand why companies always seem to discontinue the products I like.
For years I used a Clinique oil-free moisturizer with sunscreen… and then it was discontinued! I searched for a replacement and found 100% Pure. And now it’s Josie Maran. I hope she’ll stay in business forever, because I can’t go through this again. ;)